" BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD"

Improving the quality of Education for the UPE pupils in Uganda has been the quest for every other concerned citizen since its inception in 1997 when the enrollment shot from 2.5millon to 8million. Commentators lamented and policy makers went back to the drawing board to make UPE a reality since government had made it clear that it was a right for all children to be in school.

P.4 Pupils of Mulongithi Primary School, Kasese Municipality, July 2013 after receiving the child to child gifts from RWECO staff

The directive was "let all children be in class" what about the classrooms, teachers and sanitation in schools were the key issues raised by the commentators till now when the same words are still being re-echoed after 16 years down the road with Uganda being hailed by UN as having successfully implemented the UPE policy. With that in mind, RWECO and other development partners have supplemented government efforts in giving out 1100 child-to-child gifts that were donated by The Edukans Foundation based in the Netherlands  in partnership with Education Expertise Center Uganda (ELEC-U), Association of Evangelical Churches in African and Noah's Arch  Child Ministry based in Mukono. The child to child gifts were a typical learning aid to facilitate the transition class (P.4) where children are introduced to English Language as a medium of instruction. While those who think thematic curriculum was not serving its purpose should be guided about key tenets in learning. I believe our children need to learn their mother tongue, why should we like foreign languages without promoting our own.

Hon. Win Kiiza Nyabahasa (4th left), Woman MP, Kasese district, commissioning the distribution of the child to child gifts at RWECO office, July, 2013.

I have seen and witnessed those we want to copy - the western countries- admiring our national heritage including language and dressing, food and art facets. Take an example of the early missionaries who learnt Luganda, Swahili, Luo, and Runyakitara to mention but a few, I always wonder when schooled parents introduce English to their  young children arguing that it was  good to teach children English!!! what about those who teach their native languages and make computers, phones, name them. In the west, unless you went to an International School, instruction in schools and institutions of higher learning is in native language- In the Netherlands its dutch, Frence, Belgium and Switzerland, use french. I would imagine if we want the young generation to master their language, the thematic curriculum was the way to go, lest we take our children to International schools in Uganda!!! 

Classrooms at Mulongithi P. S, Kasese Municipality: P.4 Class had an enrollment of 56 pupils as of July 2013. Such were the classrooms that accommodate large numbers of pupils at the inception of UPE in 1997

 As Mahatma Gandhi notes " .. be the change you want to see in the world.." RWECO was motivated when the children and teachers were in ululations when they received a consignment of  56 child to child gifts which to the teachers were a good learning aid right from home to the classroom. Development partners came only to supplement what the government had done though little but it brought a smiling face to the teachers and children. RWECO wants to "walk the talk" by being a change in the world that we want to see our children in the next 50 years.

Teachers taking the records of pupil during the distribution of the child to child gifts

RWECO "walk the talk"

Many more organisations and development partners support the UPE program in different ways but what are the results when we read reports about the increasing numbers of drop outs especially girls as they advance to upper primary- ARE OUR CHILDREN LEARNING -UWEZO REPORT 2012 (http://www.uwezo.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/RO_2012_UwezoEastAfricaReport.pdf ), The National Assessment Progress in Education Report,  2011(NAPE-Uganda).  The parents have been blamed for relegating their critical duty to the schools when they fail to provide mid day meals to their own children!! While Government has also shot herself in the foot when teachers were promised a 20% salary increment in the 2013/14 budget but only 4% was allocated by the Minister of Finance. Indeed, are our children learning given the biting financial crunch, prolonged famine hitting the country and the looming strike by the teachers will be a last kick to the dying horse!!! Reports of inadequate funding to UPE are the blue prints in our local media reducing from Ugx 7200/ per pupil per annum  to Ugx 2,700/. During the field monitoring by RWECO CPF at Kasanga P. S, Kasese district, it was observed that during the last quarter Apri-June, 2013, the School received Ugx. 1,400,000/ translating into Ugx. 200/ per month per child, implying that government remits Ugx.600/ per year per child to Kasanga P. School. The good lesson to learn was, the head teacher displays the funds received on the notice board in the office. The question was, will  the Ugx 200 meet the basic needs  of the child given that the children are at school for 5 days in a week giving us 20 working days per month. The expenditure per child per day  will be 200/20= 10/=

In real terms will the Ugx.10/ make our children learn, has anybody bothered to share this  analysis with government to put a case for increased expenditure on the cost of education in Uganda?. What about other members of the East African Community what is the cost of Education in the primary sector? The Uganda vision 2040 will only be achieved if the middle class in Uganda can realise that we need moral uprightness and good will in order to talk of a middle class world. Uganda is one country that was believed to be on the right path in achieving the MDG targets on halving poverty and hunger, access to basic education and reducing child mortality by 2015.

Its our duty to act now and hold those accountable to deliver!!!

Jimmy B.O
RWECO
Policy Analyst